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Suicide Prevention

Helpline

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

If you need help, please dial 988.

We can all help prevent suicide.
There are many 24/7, free, and confidential supports available for people in distress. There are also prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

Annual Notice of Youth Suicide Prevention Resources

Resources for Emergency Situations

988

988lifeline.org

Text or Dial 988 for immediate assistance in a suicide or mental health crisis.

HOPELINE

HOPELINE siteText “HOPELINE” to 741741 for Free, Confidential, Compassionate support via text message.

Trevor Project

thetrevorproject.org

Text 678-678 or Call 1-866-488-7396 for help focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGBT youth.

Resources for Non-Emergency Situations

Know the Signs- Be ready to Act

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem; but for kids, their problems can seem endless. If we can get them through the crisis, there is a 90 percent chance that they will never attempt suicide. School staff, peers, and family members are well-positioned to observe individual behaviors and respond using the IACTT model if they suspect that a student may be considering self-harm.

Signs/ Symptoms (FACTs)

Suicide doesn’t usually happen out of the blue— most often, there are signs or symptoms for others to see or hear. Get the FACTs and know the signs of suicidal thinking in your students, friends, and family members.

Feelings

  • Hopelessness
  • Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge
  • Feeling trapped – like there’s no way out
  • Having no sense of purpose in life

Actions

  • Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities
  • Withdrawing from friends, family, society, and typical activities
  • Increased use of alcohol or drugs
  • Giving away prized possessions

Changes

  • Decline in quality of schoolwork
  • Dramatic mood changes
  • Anxiety, agitation, change of eating/sleeping habits

Threats

  • Threatening/talking about hurting self

From American Association of Suicidology

How to Help

I.A.C.T.T stands for Identify, Ask, Communicate, Take Action, and Take Care.

Identify the signs and symptoms of someone who is struggling with their mental health. Reaching out to others with an empathetic “Thank you for sharing with me. It sounds really hard” can be the first step in helping them through their crisis.

Ask questions to learn more about what is going on and ask the person directly if they are thinking about suicide. Use open questions (e.g., “Tell me what’s going on.”) to gather information and context. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard question (e.g., “Have you had thoughts about suicide?”)

Communicate care and compassion for the student by taking the next step. (e.g., “I am worried about you. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you or for you to be hurt.”)

Take action and tell a member of your crisis team. (e.g.,“Let’s go talk with someone in the counseling office.”) Take care of yourself. You have helped and supported someone, now give yourself that same care. Seek support from your network.

More Resources